Side Quest Strategy

How it fuels your main mission (and injects some fun back into your work!)

“Why did you just kill yourself, young man?”, I asked my kid.

Relax.

I’m talking about his video game character. We bought him a PS5 instead of enrolling him in a tutorial center.

“I left a bot behind,” He replied without glancing back at me.

Apparently, this kid doesn’t do mediocre. He wants to finish the mission and perfect the side quests, all in one glorious, Yakult-fueled gaming session.

Did I raise a perfectionist?

Or were these side quests engineered so carefully that it built up the addiction to the game even more?

As I watched his Astrobot respawn, I got inspired and I started to mentally draft this issue's outline.

Side quests aren’t just fun distractions.

They are cleverly designed hooks, each one a mini-adventure with its own rewards, dopamine hits, and more importantly, a role in driving the main goal forward, one tiny ask at a time.

Even if it meant sacrificing the main mission (temporarily, of course).

Sound familiar, marketers?

That's because most successful businesses and creators are playing the same game. :)

If you’re not yet entirely sure how side quests work or why you should even care, keep reading.

We have actual examples you can follow, whether you're building a brand, selling a SaaS, or just marketing yourself as a freelancer.

⚡ Spark Notes: How side quests fuel your main mission

Getting strangers to buy your high-ticket stuff is like trying to convince someone to join your spaceship crew for an interstellar journey.

They need to:

• Know you’ve built a ship

• Like how it looks from the outside

• Trust that your ship won’t explode and can land on the right planet

Yep, it’s the classic Know, Like, and Trust factor. And sorry for too many Astrobot references!

The point is, that there's a lot of trust-building and value demonstration involved before someone takes that leap of faith.

That's where Side Quests come in. They nudge people toward your main mission.

🤓 Social Exchange Theory: The science behind side quests

It's the Social Exchange Theory in action: you give value upfront, and people reciprocate.

As humans, we're wired for connection and fair exchange. Our brains literally light up in the same reward centers when we receive unexpected value and when we return a favor.

Side quests tap into these fundamental psychological needs, building trust and likeability.

Those low-risk, high-reward experiences make people more open to hearing about what you do, the problems you solve, and ultimately, the solution you want some of them to buy.

In short, Side Quests strategically tip the scales in your favor.

🎬 Side Quests IRL

Okay, let’s stop stretching our imagination at this point, and let’s take a look at actual side quest projects, shall we?

On State of Reports as a Side Quest

As a copywriter, I have a bias towards State of _____ Reports.

Like, yes, I need those stats for my content. Plus, pulling industry numbers out of my head makes me look smart to clients on discovery calls.

State of Reports delivers concentrated value while subtly positioning the author as the industry authority worth paying attention to.

Here’s an example from Mailmodo.

• Mailmodo → State of Email 2025

  • Main product: Interactive email tool

  • Side quest: Annual State of Email Report

  • Magic happens: When ICP-matched readers feel like your paid solution is their logical next step, all without a hard sell

Your audience gets actionable information whether or not they ever buy from you - but that generosity paradoxically makes them more likely to convert.

This works particularly well in B2B because decision-makers love backing their choices with data. When your report shows that companies using your solution type see 37% better results, for example, you've basically written their justification memo for them.

Pro tip: Partner with industry experts to help shape the report. Mailmodo partnered with 4 email experts (I’m one of them! Yay!). When your side quest makes someone else the hero of their professional story, you've also gained their audience and their eager willingness to spread the word about your report. Win-win!

On free tools as a side quest

Nope, I am not talking about your free trials.

I’m talking about standalone tools that naturally nudge strangers to sign up for your tool. Like Canva’s Color Wheel.

It's a simple, yet brilliant tool that helps anyone find the perfect color palette for their project. And guess what? It ranks #1 for the keyword "color wheel," strategically capturing a massive audience of potential Canva users.

• Canva → Color wheel

  • Main product: Design tool for non-designers

  • Side quest: Color wheel generator

  • Magic happens: Users discover the tool, generate a stunning color palette, and then...bam! They're seamlessly nudged to create a Canva account to put those colors into action. It's a conversion masterpiece disguised as a helpful freebie.

Pro tip: Don't just create a tool for the sake of it. Identify a specific pain point your target audience faces and build a solution that solves their first problem. Then, introduce your product as the natural next step.

On selling your freelancing services

Free micro-offers work magic for freelancers. They showcase your expertise while creating natural pathways to paid projects—without the awkward sales pitch.

I particularly love how my LinkedIn friend, Anthony Ronga does it.

He creates pitch decks for startups, from Pre-seed to Series B+.

And he has multiple side quests to get relationships started.

• Anthony → Community x Lead magnet

  • Main service: DFY pitch deck

  • Side quest: Community and a lead magnet

  • Magic happens: Founders get a taste of his expertise, and he gets multiple warm leads on demand. They love the free community and template, and when they're ready to level up, they know exactly who to call.
    

Pro tip: Pick a side quest that energizes you, not drains you. It should play to your strengths, fit your schedule, and leave you with plenty of juice for your main gig. After all, the goal is to boost your freelance business, not burn yourself out.

🚨 Guardrails: Don’t Let Side Quests Take Over Main Quests

Like any powerful strategy, side quests come with potential pitfalls:

• The Endless Detour: When your free offerings consume more resources than your paid work.

• Feature Creep: When your simple tool slowly transforms into an unpaid full-time project.

• Audience Mismatch: When your side quest attracts people who'll never convert to your main offers.

• Value Dilution: When you give away so much that paying seems unnecessary.

🧠 TL;DR: The Science of Side Quests

Social Exchange Theory 101: People commit to big journeys through small adventures first. Side quests build trust without triggering decision anxiety.

So make your main offering the destination, not the starting point.

The Side Quest Success Formula:

1. Create a standalone value piece that solves one specific problem

2. Make it immediately useful with zero commitment required

3. Design a natural bridge to your core offering

4. Track which quests convert best and double down
   

Remember: The best side quests feel complete enough to deliver real value, but limited enough to highlight why your main offering matters. They're bridges, not destinations. :)

What side quest will you design this quarter? Drop them in the comments below.

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💌 Need a sounding board for your side quest idea?

Or have one you're not marketing? Let’s turn them into conversion engines. I’ll help you identify your hidden B2B content assets for your ICPs, map them to your customer journey, and craft perfect email sequences that transform subscribers into clients.